Lesser Ury

Collection Gabor Breg, Neu Isenburg

Axel Springer, Berlin (acquired from the above in 1979)

Acquired from the above in the late 90s by the present owner

Berlin, Landes-Ausstellungsgebäude, LXIII. Ausstellung der Königlichen Akademie der Künste, 15.5.-31.7.1892, no. 1311, p. 70

Berlin, Berliner Secession, Lesser Ury, Katalog der 42. Ausstellung der Berliner Secession, Januar until March 1922, no. 44, n.p.

Hamburg, BATIG-Haus, Ein Berliner Maler, Lesser Ury (1861-1931) poetischer Chronist der Großstadt, 14.11.1988-13.1.1989, no. 2, n.p., (titled: Interieur, 1888)

Berlin, Käthe-Kollwitz-Museum, Lesser Ury, Zauber des Lichts, 1995, no. 8, illustrated in colour, p.119 (titled: Interieur mit Frau am Klavier, 1888)

Exh Cat., Berlin, Käthe Kollwitz Museum, Lesser Ury, Zauber des Lichts, 1995, no. 8, p. 192

Friedrich von Boetticher, Malerwerke des 19. Jahrhunderts, Beitrag zur Kunstgeschichte, Vol. 2 (2nd half), Hofheim am Taunus 1901, no. 3, p. 910

Joachim Seyppel, Lesser Ury, Der Maler der alten City, Leben - Kunst - Wirkung, Berlin 1987, no. 613, p. 217

• A captivating genre scene from 1888, defining Ury’s early mastery of interior portraiture.
• The composition employs a layered view through an open doorway, heightening the sense of intimacy.
•  The composition centers on a solitary female figure, a recurring motif in Ury’s early work.

Am Klavier (At the piano) is an intimate interior scene that immediately captivates through its structural composition. Executed in 1888, the canvas utilizes a framing device: the viewer observes the main subject, a woman seated at a piano, through the vantage of an open doorway. Distinguished by her vibrant red dress, the figure serves as the principal color accent against the deep browns and greys of the inner room. The intentional use of this architectural element creates a voyeuristic distance, while illumination highlights the figure, enhancing the painting’s sense of mood and solitude.

While Lesser Ury is widely celebrated for his Impressionistic depictions of bustling Berlin street scenes, his interiors offer a profound counterpoint. These scenes frequently center on solitary figures absorbed in contemplation or domestic activity, allowing Ury to rigorously explore both the psychological depth of his subjects and sophisticated compositional framing devices like the open door used here.

His work is held in major public collections, including the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. He has been prominently featured in significant exhibitions dedicated to the transition of German art at the turn of the 20th century, cementing his position as a critical observer of the fin-de-siècle era.